Want to make the most of your backyard in any type of weather, just like Brett did? Read how he did it, how long it took and what he used to get these great results.
Several years ago, Tracey and I organised a builder to make us a large merbau deck with a small set of steps. We asked the builder to add a short sleeper path to enhance our garden. While helping him, I realised how easy sleeper paths can be to make and how good they can look. On this occasion, we wanted to continue the flow from the deck down to the mancave and create a larger multi-purpose area for entertaining.
From lifting the first paver to final wet down (including a trip to Bunnings each day for a load of sleepers), it took 5 days.
Anyone with patience, a good imagination and basic tool knowledge could tackle this kind of project. The key tips are planning and motivation – know what you want to achieve and get into it! The best part of the job is sitting back with a beverage and checking out your work, saying: “we built that, cheers"
We didn’t really have a set budget, total cost of the project came to around $1100, the majority being the sleepers.
TIP: Properly treated hardwood could also be used.
"Not every job runs smoothly, but if you take the time to stop and think about how to solve the problem, everything will be fine."
The toughest part was definitely removing the dirt to be able to set in the rails at the required level.
Also, working out the rail position and the angles for the curve in the path to some extra effort.
Due to the large deck area (6m at the longest point) I used full-width sleepers as rails spaced approximately 800mm apart so I could stagger and anchor the deck boards more easily. For a smaller area, let's say 3m or under, you would only need half-width rails (achieved by ripping a sleeper lengthways down the middle with a circular saw or a table saw.
TIP: Use your sleeper offcuts to slap together some planter boxes, shelves, or anything you like.
There are a few jobs on the list, including a bench seat to add to the sleeper deck, and ongoing progress on the workshop/mancave. Watch this space!!
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